Stafford Masie, executive chairman of Africa Bitcoin Corporation, said Bitcoin is being used as everyday money in parts of Africa, with some merchants preferring satoshis over US dollars amid rapid inflation and currency debasement.
Speaking to Natalie Brunell on the Coin Stories podcast, Masie said perceptions of Bitcoin differ sharply by region, arguing that in some African circular economies merchants “won’t accept dollars — they accept satoshis.”
“Where I come from, Bitcoin is money,”
Said Africa Bitcoin Corporation executive chairman, Stafford Masie.
He contrasted Western concerns about 4% to 5% annual inflation with what he described as far more extreme currency debasement in parts of Africa, saying communities are moving from what he called “broken money” into digital assets rather than gradually transitioning from stable fiat systems.
Masie also pointed to the continent’s youthful demographics, noting more than a quarter of Africa’s population is under 20, and said younger generations are embracing emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and “love Bitcoin.”
Referencing the 2008 publication of the Bitcoin white paper, he described the asset as “pristine capital” that is immutable and decentralised, adding:
“Our lives changed, because suddenly we had something that couldn’t be debased… That to an African is life or death.”
Data from Chainalysis shows Sub-Saharan Africa received more than $205 billion in on-chain value from July 2024 to June 2025, up 52% year on year, with monthly volumes nearing $25 billion in March 2025 largely driven by activity in Nigeria after a currency devaluation, while stablecoins are increasingly used for remittances and cross-border trade as highlighted by former UN Under-Secretary-General Vera Songwe at the World Economic Forum.
At the time of reporting, Bitcoin price was $68,226.87.